Lagering in the fermenter

[T Murph]

I am considering lagering a Modelo clone in the CF5 fermenter inside a fermentation fridge. It fermented under pressure with temperature control. I'm thinking I could dump the yeast and put the fermenter right in the fridge and lager it at 34 degrees for about 4 weeks.

Does anyone have experience lagering in the fermenter?

 

[AZ Maverick]

I lager in the fermenter all the time.
I go from fermentation to diacetyl rest, to lager, to cold crash all in my fermentation chamber before I transfer to keg.
This takes me 8 weeks total time and my beer comes out great (at least myself and all of my friends think so).

 

[pvtpublic]

I lager in the fermenter all the time.
I go from fermentation to diacetyl rest, to lager, to cold crash all in my fermentation chamber before I transfer to keg.
This takes me 8 weeks total time and my beer comes out great (at least myself and all of my friends think so).

I do this process professionally in the fermenter everytime. You're fine!

 

[crazyjake19]

I do it quite often with lagers. Ferment, cold crash, lager, and serve (floating dip tube) - all right from the same corny keg. No transfers = less chances for oxidation, and less vessels to clean.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

As I bottle my lagers is it better to lager in the bottle or the fermenter?

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I think it depends on what kind of fermenter you are using. For example, if your fermenter is plastic (PET) like a fermzilla or better bottle I wouldn't leave it in there for extended periods of time as PET's oxygen barrier properties aren't suitable for long term aging.

I also wouldn't recommend leaving it in a glass carboy where you can't maintain positive pressure. Oxygen will also creep in and ruin your beer. You also need to be very careful cold crashing in a carboy that can't hold pressure as air will be sucked into the fermentor from the drop in temperature (vacuum is formed)

However, if your primary fermenter is a conical or keg that can maintain pressure (and made from stainless steel) there's no reason you couldn't do it in the primary vessel (ideally after pulling out the yeast)

If you keg beer, the simplest thing to do is just lager in the serving keg (using a floating diptube). Essentially just lager by packaging it and sticking it in your keezer on gas

If you don't have pressure capable primary fermenters and are a bottler, then I would just recommend bottle lagering. Basically package your beer as normal, carbonate in the bottles, then let the bottles sit in the fridge for a few weeks after carbonated. Be careful not to disturb the yeast sediment when pouring

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I do it quite often with lagers. Ferment, cold crash, lager, and serve (floating dip tube) - all right from the same corny keg. No transfers = less chances for oxidation, and less vessels to clean.

this is a good recommendation especially if you want to keep the process simple (and you can keg ferment)

 

[mac_1103]

I also wouldn't recommend leaving it in a glass carboy where you can't maintain positive pressure. Oxygen will also creep in and ruin your beer. You also need to be very careful cold crashing in a carboy that can't hold pressure as air will be sucked into the fermentor from the drop in temperature (vacuum is formed)

There are a number of simple, inexpensive and effective solutions to these problems.

 

[bwible]

I am considering lagering a Modelo clone in the CF5 fermenter inside a fermentation fridge. It fermented under pressure with temperature control. I'm thinking I could dump the yeast and put the fermenter right in the fridge and lager it at 34 degrees for about 4 weeks.

Does anyone have experience lagering in the fermenter?

Thats exactly what I do. And I don’t have anything fancy. After fermentation at 50 degrees or whatever I raise up for diacetyl rest then I rack to a carboy and the carboy goes in the fridge at 35 for a month or 5 weeks before it gets racked to a keg for pressurizing and serving,

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

Thats exactly what I do. And I don’t have anything fancy. After fermentation at 50 degrees or whatever I raise up for diacetyl rest then I rack to a carboy and the carboy goes in the fridge at 35 for a month or 5 weeks before it gets racked to a keg for pressurizing and serving,

Why wouldn't you just rack to the keg for lagering and serving directly? The extra transfer adds much more risk for O2 pickup

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

There are a number of simple, inexpensive and effective solutions to these problems.

There's stuff like cold crash guardian out there I'm aware of. If you are bottling something like that could be a good solution for a quick cold crash before bottling. For long term lagering I'd be more skeptical keeping it in a carboy with a bung that isn't under pressure

 

[Bassman2003]

I am considering lagering a Modelo clone in the CF5 fermenter inside a fermentation fridge. It fermented under pressure with temperature control. I'm thinking I could dump the yeast and put the fermenter right in the fridge and lager it at 34 degrees for about 4 weeks.

Does anyone have experience lagering in the fermenter?

Yes. You would be using your conical as a unitank and it is about the best method for great beer. No transfers or oxygen ingress.

 

[bwible]

Why wouldn't you just rack to the keg for lagering and serving directly? The extra transfer adds much more risk for O2 pickup

Settling - I don’t want the first 10 beers to be full of yeast and yeast waste. Yeah this is where people cut dip tubes short or have floating dip tubes - but still, alot is lost to waste during settlng,

 

[mrcastellino]

What kind of gasket material does the CF5 use? Is it silicone? If so you will get some oxygen exposure while it is lagering… also consider the head space of your fermenter compared to a keg.

 

[T Murph]

What kind of gasket material does the CF5 use? Is it silicone? If so you will get some oxygen exposure while it is lagering… also consider the head space of your fermenter compared to a keg.

For the very reason you mentioned I elected to forgo lagering in the fermenter. I only keg and do so following strict sanitation and oxygen avoidance practices. I'm not sure why I considered lagering in the fermenter, I guess I was experiencing a lazy moment.

I may yet try that someday but I only have one CF5 and don't want to tie it up that long. I might try it with a Fermzilla that other wise sits idle most of the time.